Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, will visit Mexico at the end of this month to discuss cooperation plans with local corporations. Mexico has not signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Korea, but it is a key country where our corporations are entering as a "bypass export base to the U.S."
Amid the recent refusal by the Trump administration to extend the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), there are concerns about damage to Korean corporations that have advanced into Mexico. As there have been discussions between the leaders of the two countries on concluding an FTA in the past, the role of corporations to support this is drawing attention.
According to a compilation of ChosunBiz reporting on the 2nd, the chairman will visit Mexico around the end of this month. The chairman will attend the Korea-Mexico Business Roundtable in the capacity of chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry).
A large number of major corporations affiliated with the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry and local corporate officials are expected to attend. The Mexican side in particular requested active investment and cooperation from Korea in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the aerospace industry.
A business community official said, "Korean corporations that entered Mexico targeting the U.S. market need to seek new openings," adding, "Various discussions that corporations want, including concluding an FTA between the two countries, are expected to proceed."